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Tiered Hotel Wedding Packages

nerdwifenerdwife member
5 Love Its First Comment First Answer Name Dropper
in Wedding Etiquette Forum
Okay, so we have now moved on to the hotel block phase of wedding planning. Yay! I contacted the three hotels that the venue recommends - one is booked with three weddings that weekend (eek!), one never returned my call (bye), and the third is the one we're going with.

I won't mention the hotel chain name, but here's what I thought was super weird: They have tiered wedding packages. As in, there's a bronze, silver, gold, and platinum package. As you probably guessed, the packages increase in options - money towards a shuttle (or a free shuttle that increases in size), free breakfast, etc.

This is based on increasing costs for rooms. So basically it's allowing me to say, okay, if my guests pay $139 a night for the best package, I don't have to pay for shuttle service or worry about breakfast. Isn't that BSC? Clearly, we're doing the Bronze package and paying for a shuttle ourselves, but WTF? This weird, right?
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Re: Tiered Hotel Wedding Packages

  • kimmiinthemittenkimmiinthemitten member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    nerdwife said:
    Okay, so we have now moved on to the hotel block phase of wedding planning. Yay! I contacted the three hotels that the venue recommends - one is booked with three weddings that weekend (eek!), one never returned my call (bye), and the third is the one we're going with.

    I won't mention the hotel chain name, but here's what I thought was super weird: They have tiered wedding packages. As in, there's a bronze, silver, gold, and platinum package. As you probably guessed, the packages increase in options - money towards a shuttle (or a free shuttle that increases in size), free breakfast, etc.

    This is based on increasing costs for rooms. So basically it's allowing me to say, okay, if my guests pay $139 a night for the best package, I don't have to pay for shuttle service or worry about breakfast. Isn't that BSC? Clearly, we're doing the Bronze package and paying for a shuttle ourselves, but WTF? This weird, right?
    We looked at three hotels (major chains as well).  The two we didn't reserve rooms with were the ones who charged for the shuttle into the rooms.  One hotel charged $39/room extra for the shuttle, so if we have 30 people your shuttle costs $1,100?!?  I don't think so.

    The funniest part is I told all 3 I didn't want to charge my guests for the shuttle and 2 still provided that as the package.  Clearly the shuttle per room makes them more money than charging us what it actually costs.

    Shady, shady!
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  • lyndausvilyndausvi mod
    First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2015
    nerdwife said:
    Okay, so we have now moved on to the hotel block phase of wedding planning. Yay! I contacted the three hotels that the venue recommends - one is booked with three weddings that weekend (eek!), one never returned my call (bye), and the third is the one we're going with.

    I won't mention the hotel chain name, but here's what I thought was super weird: They have tiered wedding packages. As in, there's a bronze, silver, gold, and platinum package. As you probably guessed, the packages increase in options - money towards a shuttle (or a free shuttle that increases in size), free breakfast, etc.

    This is based on increasing costs for rooms. So basically it's allowing me to say, okay, if my guests pay $139 a night for the best package, I don't have to pay for shuttle service or worry about breakfast. Isn't that BSC? Clearly, we're doing the Bronze package and paying for a shuttle ourselves, but WTF? This weird, right?
    Not really.    It's a business.  The costs of breakfast and the shuttle have to come from somewhere.     If you look at most hotel you will see lots of different packages.  Ones that include breakfast, free parking for up to 2 weeks, etc.

    Just because you have a block doesn't even mean the guests have to use the block.  My dad is at the highest level you can get at Marriott.  Even if there is a room block my parents will use their points instead.  One time they ended up getting the suite over the couple :0   They didn't mean to, my dad's status automatically bumps him to the top of the upgrade list (the couple didn't pay for the suite, they were hoping for a free upgrade).






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
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  • SP29SP29 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    I can see why the hotel does it, but I think it is rude of the B&G to push the cost on their guests (paying more for a room so the B&G don't have to pay for a shuttle). I would be fine with it if the room rate was the same either way, and it happened to be if X rooms got booked then the B&G got something free out of it. 

    We had 2 hotel blocks, neither had packages. Just a preferred rate for X number of rooms, to be released a month prior to the wedding. Both hotels included "free" continental breakfast as part of the services offered. 
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  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    SP29 said:
    I can see why the hotel does it, but I think it is rude of the B&G to push the cost on their guests (paying more for a room so the B&G don't have to pay for a shuttle). I would be fine with it if the room rate was the same either way, and it happened to be if X rooms got booked then the B&G got something free out of it. 

    We had 2 hotel blocks, neither had packages. Just a preferred rate for X number of rooms, to be released a month prior to the wedding. Both hotels included "free" continental breakfast as part of the services offered. 
    Or, the B&G could pay the difference.  We wanted to keep our room cost low for our guests AND offer our guests a full breakfast in the morning, so we told our hotel that we would pick up the cost of everyone's breakfast - and to lower the cost of the room.  And they did.
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  • SP29SP29 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    JoanE2012 said:
    SP29 said:
    I can see why the hotel does it, but I think it is rude of the B&G to push the cost on their guests (paying more for a room so the B&G don't have to pay for a shuttle). I would be fine with it if the room rate was the same either way, and it happened to be if X rooms got booked then the B&G got something free out of it. 

    We had 2 hotel blocks, neither had packages. Just a preferred rate for X number of rooms, to be released a month prior to the wedding. Both hotels included "free" continental breakfast as part of the services offered. 
    Or, the B&G could pay the difference.  We wanted to keep our room cost low for our guests AND offer our guests a full breakfast in the morning, so we told our hotel that we would pick up the cost of everyone's breakfast - and to lower the cost of the room.  And they did.
    Yes that is a great option! Very kind of you. 
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